OVER THE CHESS BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 9807, 21 September 1895, Page 1 (Supplement)

OVER THE CHESS BOARD.

[Conducted by J. W. Mellor.]

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

All communications must be addressed " Chess Editor, Evening Stab.” , “Warwick House.” Both your solutions, Nos. 133 and 134, are correct. Solution of Problem No. 134. Key move: Q-li 7. PROBLEM No. 136. [G. Hume.] First prize three-move self-mate section of (he ‘Chess Monthly’ third Problem Tournament. Black '1 pieces.

White 13 pieces. White to play and self-mate in three moves. An the present case the motto _ was “ Cradled iu a Cranium,”, and the prize was £2.)

END GAME STUDY. We wish to draw our readers’ attention to the following diagram showing the position at the finish of a. Kay Lopez played in 1886 by the late Captain Mackenzie (white) in a match with Mr Burn (blafck). Position after black’s forty-second move. Black 13 pieces. ,

fVhiteli pieces. White, playing first, wins.

Both sides had been vigorously attacking, and BlacK'bas just lost the exchange and a pawn. Evidently White had a won game, and coolJ wind up as he liked; but he seems to have anticipated a mate in seven, and therefore no other finish, however pretty, would have been good chess. White playo 1 43 B-B 7 ch, bx d; As it happens, Black could have delayed the mate by playing k-b sq and abandoning his queen—44 R-E, 8 ch, b-b sq ; if 44 b x r, there is a mate in six instead of seven—4s Rxß,k xr; for if 45 k-ktsq, the queen mates—46 Q-R 8 ch, b-kt sq. White, who has now sacrificed a rook, has a choice of two mates in three; he may take the pawn with a check, or, as Mackenzie played it, 47 Q-R 6 ch, k-b 2; 48 Q-Kt 6, and rook mates next move. Observe, by the way, what distinguishes the end game from a problem. White checks on the first move ; there is a series of forced moves for Black, with scarcely any freedom of action leading to variations. On the fifth move White has a dual mate in three, occurring fortuitously. There are also sundry superfluous pieces, but to sweep them away would not convert the position into a problem.

TIPS IN THE OPENINGS, I.—CENTRE GAMBIT.

Roger J. Wright (vice-president Sussex Chess Association) has suggested a new variation in the Centre gambit, which deserves consideration. Thus White. Black. White. Black. 1 P-K 4 P-K 4 :? <} x P Kt-Q B 3 2P-Q.4 PxP 4 Q-QJ

White’s fourth move, instead of the usual move of Paulsen’s—viz., 4 Q-K 3-is the novelty. It avoids the annoying attacks on the queen which generally follow on the usual move. lI.—EVANS (.AMBIT. E. Lasker maintains (1) that the compromised defence is favorable to the second player; (2) that the normal form of the Evan’s yields to White a lasting and very dangerous attack on the king’s side ; and (3) that Black has a, simple and safe way of evading all difficulty if he will immediately give back his material advantage. Thus : White. Black. White. Black. IM4 P-K 4 (i Castles-t B-Kt 3 2 Kt-K B 3 Kt-Q B 3 7 P-Q 4 P-Q 3-c 38-QB4 B-Q B 4 8 P x P P x P 4 P-Q Kt 4 Bx P 9Q x Q Kt x Q SP-B3 B-lt l-d 10 Kt x P Kt-K B 3-d NOTES. « Better than the usual 5 b-b 4, which gives White more chances for attack. hj If White plays (i P-Q 4 Black has the option of bringing about the “Compromised Defence,” which is favorable to the second player. e Black gives up the pawn previously gained for the purpose of simplification. d White’s queen's side is disarranged for the end game, and Black has a better-disposed position for the ending. The White queen’s bishop’s pawn is weak. It is also an obstacle to White’s effective development. • The above, says Mr Gunsberg, may be quite true, but, with due respect to Mr Lasker, we believe that ordinary amateurs will find much smoother sailing by declining the gambit with b-kt 3. 111. —ANUEKSSEN OPENING. Prince Dadeau A. Mongrelia points out in ‘La Strategic’ that, although the opening 1 P-Q R 3 followed by 2 P Q 4 is generally believed to be the invention of Anderssen, it is to be found in a game played between Kierseritzky and St. Amant, and published as No. 1,009 of Walker’s * Chess Studies.’ IV, —KIERSEBITZKY’s DEFENCE IN THE “ EVANS.” Kierseritzky’s defence, in the Evans gambit of 5 b-q 3, is thought to be the best way of meeting that formidable attack. The “Theoretical Big Wigs” declared such a defence to be bad, because it cramped Black’s game unnecessarily, but they apparently overlooked the fact that Black had just gained a pawn, and to maintain the advantage he had better be content to have a cramped game for some considerable time. If he can maintain the material advantage without losing more in position thin will counterbalance it he must inevitably win the game. By playing the suggested move—viz., b-q 3 Black prevents White from establishing his pawns in the centre as in most variations, and White’s pawn at Q B 3 not only becomes isolated, but for a long time is actually an obstruction, preventing Q Kt from coming out to his best advantage and otherwise remaining a source of weakness and aggravation to White—more so, perhaps, than Black’s cramped position is to him. Now, it is clear that if Black can only emerge from the opening moves without being overwhelmed by the attack the result must be favorable to him. Such, no doubt, was Kierserilzky’s idea, and practical play has demonstrated its goodness. Of course, it spoils the beautiful Evans gambits, which are produced when the moves are played in the so-called “ regular ” manner—that is to say, in the way laid down by analysts, which makes the play mostly in favor of the attack.

V.—STAUNTON’S OI'ENING. Miron, of the ‘ New York Clipper,’ says that Staunton’s opening is likely to become fashionable again in the States. Recently he defended this attack thiswise i White. Black. White. Black. 1 P-K 4 P-K 4 SKP x P Qx P 2 Kt-K B3 Kt-Q B 3 CKtxP Kt xKt 3 P-B 3 P-Q 4 7Qx Kt Qx Q 4 P*Q 4 Kl’xP And Blaok wmn in a little over twenty

moves. VI.—BUY LOPEZ. Herr E. Lasker holds that 3 kt-b 3 is the only safe defence to the Ruy Lopez attack. By means of sundry variations which he has worked out on his own account he proves that Steinitz’s favorite 3 p - q 3 is weak. He also demonstrates that 3 Pq r 3 is unsound. He does this by showing that the first player, in addition to forcing the second player to weaken his queen’s aide, can compel him to engage both the queen and the queen’s rook in looking after the advanced pawn on the queen’s wing. When the first player has succeeded in these lines of play he can attack the adverse knight at his leisure.

CHESS ITEMS. From the ‘New Zealand Weekly Herald ’ (Auckland) we learn that an interesting tournament is being conducted there for the championship of the Auckland district. There are twenty-one names on the scoresheet. Some half-dozen rounds have already been played. The scores, however, are not sufficiently advanced to enable any prediction to be made of the probable winners. The Otago Chess Club are trying to make arrangements to enable them to challenge Wellington to a chess match on November 9.